Warning after electric batteries cause two fires

Crews were called to a fire in Werrington where an e-scooter battery had caught fire after being damaged

Fire services have warned people to be cautious with electric batteries after responding to two fires caused by them in a matter of days.

Last week Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire in Cambridge after an e-bike battery caught light when it was plugged in to charge.

This week crews from Dogsthorpe and Stanground in Peterborough were called to a fire in Werrington, where an e-scooter battery had caught fire after being damaged the day before.

Gareth Boyd, from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said it was “vital for people to be alert when charging any kind of device”.

An e-bike battery in Cambridge caught fire after being plugged in to charge

In Werrington the property's smoke alarms woke the residents in the house and alerted them that the e-scooter battery had caught on fire.

In Cambridge the occupant saw the e-bike battery was smoking as soon as it was plugged in to charge, so they quickly moved it to a safe place away from the house.

Mr Boyd said: “Most devices are supplied with the correct plugs and cables to ensure they are charged safely and don’t take more power than needed, as well as shut-off function when the battery is fully charged.

“Replacement chargers sometimes don’t have these features and can end up overheating the battery, which causes thermal runaway leading to explosions.”

The fire service also said the incidents highlighted the importance of having working smoke alarms.

“[In Werrington] the occupant did the right thing by removing the damaged battery from the e-scooter, as there was clearly a fault with it after it was knocked off the countertop the day before. It’s important to put them in a safe place until they are disposed of, preferably outside and away from any exits.

“This shows the importance of disposing of all batteries safely, either at a local household waste recycling centre or a battery bank at a local shop. Batteries should never be disposed of with household rubbish,” he said.